The #1 place to get music lists on the internet. Where most lists go to ten, I'll do them one better and go to eleven. Some of the lists will be a "best of" (the good), some will be a "worst of" (the bad), and some lists will focus on unknown bands and music (the unknown).

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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The 11 Best Bob Dylan Songs (1969-1971)

I think we need Bob Dylan now more than ever. The US is on the brink of war and instead of centering our social debate around this event, we're obsessed with an ex-Disney porn star who can't carry a note. Dylan has never been known for his vocal range and he's always had a knack for thumbing his nose at the establishment. But Dylan never wanted to be the voice of his generation, he became the voice out of the purity of his lyrics and emotions. He questioned societal restraints and fought for the rights of the lower classes, the persecuted races, and the underprivileged. He didn't do it for fame and fortune, he did it because he believed in it. During the height of the Vietnam War, Dylan's voice was a beacon of hope. As if saying that change could come if we demanded more of ourselves. Dylan never promised the answers but only opened the door by saying..."what if..." Mylie Cyrus covered a Bob Dylan song a couple years back (You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go). Though she did a competent version there's something missing. The human element. It was too clinical. Too perfect. And that's not what Dylan was about. He wasn't about a crazy stage show. He wasn't about elaborate costumes (except for may the Rolling Thunder Revue). Dylan played for the music. And his music has changed the world. The world is becoming a more radical place. We need less drugged out teddy bears and a little more tambourine, man.

The 10th edition of the Bootleg Series is out now. Another Self Portrait focuses on demos, outtakes, and unreleased material from three Dylan albums (Nahsville Skyline, New Morning, and Self Portrait) between 1969-1971.